• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Schisandra & Bergamot logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Index
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
  • Videos
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Index
    • Subscribe
    • About
    • Contact
    • Videos
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Trending

    Published: Apr 28, 2025 by Kristen Wood · This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. ·

    12 Drought-Tolerant Plants That Don’t Need Babying

    0 shares
    • Facebook
    • Reddit

    Keeping a vibrant garden without constant watering might sound like a dream, but it's totally achievable. Some plants naturally thrive in dry conditions, needing almost no attention to stay healthy and beautiful.

    These tough plants thrive with little care and still keep your garden looking amazing. Here are 12 drought-tolerant picks you might not know about.

    Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera lyrata)

    Close-up of a single deep red flower with a blurred green and white background; a smaller bud is visible in the background.
    Photo Credit: biollama/Pixabay

    This charming perennial smells like real chocolate and thrives on neglect. It blooms with sunny yellow flowers and loves hot, dry conditions, making it perfect for arid landscapes.

    Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)

    Two yellow flowers are positioned between the interlocked tines of two silver forks, set against a blurred dark green background.
    Photo Credit: ignartonosbg/Pixabay

    Tiny but mighty, Blackfoot daisies produce white, cheerful blooms that last all season. They prefer dry, rocky soils and practically bloom better when ignored.

    Ghost Plant (Graptopetalum paraguayense)

    Close-up of overlapping succulent plants with thick, pointed leaves and water droplets on their surfaces.
    Photo Credit: TuJardínDesdeCero/Pixabay

    A stunning succulent with silvery-pink rosettes, Ghost Plant is both beautiful and tough. It handles drought easily and adds a modern touch to rock gardens and containers.

    Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata)

    A cluster of bright yellow wildflowers with some small purple flowers growing among green stems in a natural outdoor setting.
    Photo Credit: crbellette/Deposit Photos

    This sunny wildflower bursts with golden yellow blooms almost year-round. It thrives in harsh desert climates and needs minimal water, making it a bright, happy addition to dry gardens.

    Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloua gracilis)

    Close-up of a green grass inflorescence with yellowish-white spikelets and seeds, set against a dark background.
    Photo Credit: HanjoHellmann/Deposit Photos

    Not all drought-tolerant plants are flowers — this hardy native grass brings movement and texture to landscapes. Its distinctive eyelash-shaped seed heads dance beautifully in the breeze.

    Pineleaf Penstemon (Penstemon pinifolius)

    A hummingbird hovers near tall red tubular flowers, feeding on nectar, with a blurred background.
    Photo Credit: David Desrocher/Pexels

    This low-growing, evergreen penstemon boasts vibrant red-orange tubular flowers. It's a magnet for hummingbirds and can withstand serious drought once established.

    Bush Morning Glory (Convolvulus cneorum)

    A single white morning glory flower with a yellow center is surrounded by green leaves.
    Photo Credit: Diana ✨/Pexels

    With its silky, silver leaves and trumpet-shaped white flowers, Bush Morning Glory offers elegance and toughness in one. It thrives on heat, poor soils, and little water.

    Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla)

    A cluster of pink and white fluffy Mimosa flowers with thin green leaves densely covering the plant.
    Photo Credit: Otamiro Onofre/Pexels

    Fairy Duster lives up to its whimsical name with feathery, pink blooms that attract pollinators. Native to the desert Southwest, it’s built to handle extreme drought with no complaints.

    Coral Aloe (Aloe striata)

    Top view of a succulent with thick, pointed leaves and clusters of small orange flowers, growing in soil with some surrounding green plants.
    Photo Credit: Irina274/Deposit Photos

    This striking aloe variety has smooth, blue-green leaves edged with coral pink. It's incredibly resilient, requiring little more than full sun and occasional deep watering.

    Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana)

    Close-up of a yellow flower with five petals, surrounded by dark green leaves.
    Photo Credit: phongvothanh/Pixabay

    If you want long-lasting color, Damianita is a gem. This compact shrub is covered in bright yellow flowers almost year-round and handles drought and heat like a pro.

    Woolly Butterfly Bush (Buddleja marrubiifolia)

    A monarch butterfly with orange and black wings rests on a cluster of pink and purple flowers surrounded by green leaves.
    Photo Credit: alex ohan/Pexels

    This lesser-known butterfly bush features soft, silvery foliage and vibrant orange ball-shaped flowers. It’s incredibly drought-tolerant and attracts pollinators like crazy, all while needing almost no maintenance.

    Littleleaf Leadtree (Leucaena retusa)

    Close-up of a branch with round, white, spiky flowers and green buds, set against a blurred background.
    Photo Credit: Realistic Frames/Pexels

    Looking for a drought-tolerant tree? Littleleaf Leadtree is a fantastic choice. This small, airy tree produces yellow puffball blooms and survives dry spells with ease.

    With these drought-tolerant plants, you can enjoy a beautiful, low-maintenance garden without the extra work. Choose a few favorites and let nature do the rest!

    More Trending

    • An orange cat with folded ears looks curiously at a green plant leaf in front of its face, surrounded by other houseplants.
      9 Pet-Friendly Plants for Your Indoor Jungle
    • A woman wearing an apron holds a cup with a sprig of greenery and smells its contents, appearing calm and focused.
      The 10 Most Fragrant Herbs for Any Garden
    • A person wearing a straw hat and denim clothes waters green shrubs with a watering can in an outdoor nursery or garden center.
      9 Plants You’re Probably Watering Way Too Much
    • 13 Amazing Houseplants That Will Survive Anything

    About Kristen Wood

    Kristen is a plant lover, gardener, certified functional nutritional expert, cookbook author, writer, and photographer. Her work has been featured in many online and print publications including Willow & Sage Magazine, Forbes, NBC, New York Daily News, Healthline, MSN, Elle, Yoga Journal, and many more. She is also a syndicated writer for The Associated Press.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




     

    Primary Sidebar

    A close up of a woman's face in the sun, radiating with the gentle glow of schisandra and bergamot home.

    About Kristen Wood

    Kristen is a plant lover, gardener, certified functional nutritional expert, cookbook author, writer, and photographer. Her work has been featured in many online and print publications including Willow & Sage Magazine, Forbes, NBC, New York Daily News, Healthline, MSN, Elle, Yoga Journal, and many more. She is also a syndicated writer for The Associated Press.

    Learn more about me →

    Follow us!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Google Web Stories
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for our newsletter to receive our latest posts!

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2025 Schisandra & Bergamot | Luna Terra Sol Media
    Disclaimer: As An Amazon Associate I Earn From Qualifying Purchases.

    0 shares